Encore! Encore!

Posted 11/16/12

You know what they say: “everyone has an opinion….” and while that is certainly true, not everyone has a public forum with which to express theirs. I often feel like the luckiest guy in the …

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Encore! Encore!

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You know what they say: “everyone has an opinion….” and while that is certainly true, not everyone has a public forum with which to express theirs. I often feel like the luckiest guy in the world, since the powers that be at The River Reporter have given me a wide berth to do just that—offer my “humble opinion” on the world of arts and leisure here in the Upper Delaware River region, but rest assured, I don’t take the responsibility lightly. There is a big difference between “criticism” and “critique,” and I turned to my faithful dictionary (www.merriam-webster.com) to be sure that I understood the definition of each. The dictionary breakdown of critique says that it’s “a careful judgment in which you give your opinion about the good and bad parts of something, such as a piece of writing or work of art….” As for “criticism,” another favorite source claims that “one of life’s greatest pleasures is the opportunity to criticize others” (www.dailywritingtips.com), but I humbly disagree. Oh, sure, there are hatchet men out there who get a thrill out of eviscerating folks in the public eye, but my “happy place” entails the opposite—loving what I see, hear and do out on the road—and I’d rather rave than pan. That said, the past few days were spilling over with pleasure as the Wonder Dog and I took in a couple of incredible shows.

Many of us have been keenly aware of the year-long progress of NACL founding artistic director Tannis Kowalchuk’s (www.nacl.org) creation “The Weather Project,” and I joined more than 70 members of the community who participated in one form or another by taking a stab at a project myself. Kowalchuk’s efforts to incorporate art, music, dance and performance in what turned out to be an incredible theatrical spectacle worthy of P.T. Barnum, involved a call to multi-media artists to transform old panes of glass with their personal spin on the theme “The Weather Outside My Window.” Toiling away on mine, I felt intimidated knowing who some of the accomplished artists were, but I carried on, hoping that my own would not stand out like a sore thumb.

Arriving at the event in Yulan, NY on Saturday night, I set up my camera and settled in to observe, rather than criticize. With the gorgeous weather cooperating, a massive crowd showed up for the “community play and expo celebrating art and science,” which promised to bring neighbors together and share thoughts on “our lives, local history, the environment and our current climate” through entertainment. While I have admired the NACL many times in the past, nothing prepared me for what can only be described (IMHO) as genius. Brilliant and extraordinary, The Weather Project delivered in spades, and if I had but one word to describe the event, it would be ‘triumphant.” For more on the amazing show and its impact on our collective psyche see page 6 in this issue of The River Reporter. As for my contribution? I had so much fun making art that I have to thank Tannis and Co. for inspiring me to step outside my comfort zone and try something new. Will there be an encore to this outrageously successful show? Nope. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event and I’m thrilled that I was among the more than 500 people who will always be able to say that we were there, the day that the NACL made history. Bravo!

My enthusiasm for artistic expression was still on overload when I pulled into the lot at the Tusten Theatre (www.artsalliancesite.org) for the final performance of the DVO (www.delawarevalleyopera.org) production of Guiseppe Verdi’s tragic love story “La Traviata,” starring Margaret Meyer, (Violetta) Scott Ingham, (Alfredo) Carlos Jimeno, (Germont) Erin Stillson, Jared Goldstein and Georgios Papadimitriou. An opera fan already, I had the pleasure of escorting a neophyte to the Tusten, a gal-pal who had never experienced a live production. Watching my friend thrill to the beautiful music and magnificent voices was part of the show for me, as Meyer’s voice (along with the others) was magnificent. Each of the classically trained singers were beyond reproach, but if I had to select just one, it would be Margaret Meyer and her flawless interpretation of heroine Violotta, who, in keeping with operatic tradition (spoiler alert!) draws her last breath as the curtain falls. My chum was sobbing and even the dog was depressed, not by the performances, but the sad story line.

The acting was superb, the clarity of the voices exhilarating and my only regret was not having the opportunity to see the other cast that performed the opera in rotation with those I did see. Also thrilling to see was a sold-out audience. The DVO (unlike many other companies) relies on ticket sales rather than patrons to support their efforts, so the next time you have an opportunity, go, support the arts and be amazed at the talent that abounds. I know I am.

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